Traditional practices
#WeAreSouthAfricans
#BhacaPeople

1. ITIYE

Itiye is more or less a thanksgiving ceremony. For us the Africa people, particularly the amaBhaca speaking people, thanksgiving is mainly done when we are giving thanks to our creator and our ancestors for whatever we are thankful for. Itiye also includes asking something from the creator and our ancestors, be it a job, blessings, a child, peace, or anything. This ceremony entails the slaughtering of a goat/ sheep. One of the two animals is slaughtered as a sacrifice which will be offered to the ancestors. Accompanying this animal would be a chicken; this chicken can be any colour except for the colour black because the black chicken is for removing bad luck or for dismantling calamities. So this chicken will be slaughtered first before the goat of the sheep as a way to gain entry when communicating with the late elders emsamu. 

this is what is is used when doing any Bhaca ritual

this is 'isinafu' which is mostly used when communicating with the ancestors. 

2. UMGIDI

Umgidi is a  ceremony done when the family is in remembrance of the deceased members of the family. This is also a way to give response to whatever the ancestors might be needing. For example if they raise concerns that they are thirsty, hungry or cold, the family will do this ceremony.

"How can alive people know that the late are hungry, cold or thirsty?" you may be asking yourself, well the thing with spiritual faith is that the dead does communicate with the living through a number of rhetorical visions, dreams or even through abstract/arbitrary/peculiar things or events that may be occurring to someone which would otherwise not occur on normal basis. For example someone might eventually get extremely ridiculous, doing wayward  and the most insane things just because the ancestors needs his/her attention. Also the need for this ceremony might be evident by having someone getting sick with an explainable sickness which the western doctors cannot even diagnose. Moreover other signs that the ancestors need your attention is when you collide with a set of coincidences driving/leading you to plots which will make you see that the ancestors are really trying to communicate something with you, like having your plate of food suddenly collapsing to the floor by itself, or losing all your money in a very peculiar way

the slaughter of an animal

women cooking 

3 UMGQABA BOVU/ UMHLONYANE

This ceremony is done when a girl child becomes of age, when she reaches her stage of womanhood or starting menstruation. As part of this ceremony a goat will be slaughtered as a celebration that the girl is finally a woman. During this period, a girl will be made to seat down alone, away from the people (but around the house), till her first menstrual cycle finishes. She will then be painted with red or dark shades of face paint and be advised in how she should behave since she is no longer a girl now but a woman who is prone to pregnancy and marriage now that she can menstruate. Other girls will come along and accompany her to wash in the river afterwards. But during the course of the day, Music and dance will lead the way.

people attending  umhlonyane
http://www.wakahina.co.za/articles/short-history-of-amabhaca

https://www.zapmeta.co.za/c?u=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.co.za%2Fbooks%2Fabout%2FIbali_Lama_Mpondo_nama_Bhaca_Xesibe_Mpon.html%3Fid%3DqB6-HgAACA

This information that is use here in this blog is inspired  another blogger Noluvuyo Moli, who have more information about the culture of our people and their practices do visit her blog for more information.

THE BHACA TRADITION, CULTURE AND PRACTICES

#BeTrueOfWhoYouAre

the grotesque scares
https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5332806493919282265#editor/target=post;postID=7675451755281895780

Traditional Bhaca speakers are identified by the 'grotesque' scars or cuts which can are very much visible on their faces because of historical reasons( such as the ones linked to Umfecane wars and migration from Zululand). This may be result of the War. Umfecane wars led our kings and Queens to advise their nations and houses to cut their skins in disguise of the enemy.

There have been many stereotypes circulating about amaBhaca. Some tend to alienate Bhaca from the nature of human behaviour by making claims such as that Bhacas are witches . This comes after the notion that Bhaca speaking people mostly practice herbal healing and spirituality as compared to adapting western medicine as well as the belief systems that comes with it. Another stereotype associated with AmaBhaca is that Bhaca is the lower class Excrement Collectors. This comes after several of the Bhaca speaking men leaving home to find work as shit collectors in Townships were there is an overcrowding of black people. Alexander and Langa are main residences of where this stereotype was given birth to.

One most t prevalent is the assumption that Bhacas speak a 'funny' and 'confusing' mix masala of Xhosa-Zulu-Swati in one sentence. Again this is due to history, especially the one of migration and Umfecane. The Zulus deny them and say, “Hhayi mfanakithi laba asibazi, laba abanehlanga ezingaka ebusweni!” No my brother we don’t know these ones, oh certainly not these with such huge marks on their faces! The Xhosas deny them and say, “Yhu hhayi akungabona abethu aba, unotshe! Khawumamele bathini xabethi bayahhamba, yiva bona bathi bayakhamba, intoni na leyo?!” Oh hell no! These ones are not our people, oh hell no! Not when they speak the way they do. Just listen to them, we don’t speak like that, we drag the H when we say we are going and they don’t.  The Swati also deny them saying, “Laba asibati tsina, buka kutsi balicinisa njani limi uma bekhuluma.” We don’t know these people, with us we lull our tongue when we speak, yet these ones harden theirs.The nation that does not have its language listed as one of this country's official languages, yet it exists with its own distinct and vibrant language; its own people, its own diversity and culture.

there is a reseach that was done by Makaula P.N. which explains futher about this topic. there re interesting facts to look out about the Bhaca people.

KwaBhaca Kingdom Umkhosi wokukhahlela (womhlanga)

#PurityIsOurPride

#loveYourSelf

ABhaca maidens bringing traditional beer and a traditional drink (imbile/inqodi) to the King
https://www.google.co.za/search?q=AMABHACA+PICURES&oq=AMABHACA+PICURES&aqs=chrome..69i57.9292j0j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF- 8

 

umkhosi wokukhahlela kwabhaca royal rees-ceremony
https://www.google.co.za/search?q=AMABHACA+PICURES&oq=AMABHACA+PICURES&aqs=chrome..69i57.9292j0j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF- 8

Umkhosi wokukhahlela is a cultural practice of AmaBhaca that seeks to restore and entrench the dignity of the Bhaca Kingdom, through its women and young girls. It’s a response to a need to reignite the principle that the beauty of a nation is seen through its children, young girls and women. It’s about showing the beauty of AmaBhaca. If we respect their children, youth and women, we will be respected as this nation. This is an old practice which we used to observe. However today it’s also our attempt to respond to HIV, teenagepregnancy, school dropouts. It’s about purity while instilling a sense of worth and focus amongst young people. This practice is done annually, they made a decision as part of the reconstruction of Bhaca Kingdom that they must celebrate their children and women as a nation to show how much they mean to us.

It important for girls to partake in this magnificent event in the Bhaca calendar because they are the face of this nation (ziintyatyambo zesi sizwe) and if we cannot show our love for them first, they will not be respected elsewhere. This provides an opportunity for them to be taught very fundamental principles of life based on our culture as amaBhaca, as you would remember that some are coming from child headed households or without parents. As it takes a village to raise a child, this provides equal opportunity for the children who take part. It’s also a platform that protects them from the ills of the society such as rape and gender based violence. There is more to it. They also believe that there is no dustbin for any child in this nation therefore, all children regardless of circumstances must be allowed to participate. The programme must carry on for as long as this nation lives. This Kingdom must arrive to a point where its liberation will be measured by having its people taking pride in saying that they are AmaBhaca equal to all other Kingdoms of the World. We should not shy away from the fact that we are still oppressed.

should you want more information about this practice of Bhaca people, there is a blog called KWABHACA KIGDOM, in that blog they explain everything that is there to know about Ukuhlolwa(verginity test).

    

                                          king Mandzikane's History

King Madzikane II with Prince Mdutyane & Prince Phila Mdutyane (AmaBhaca)

Madzikane's father was Khalimesh, his firstborn was Crown Prince Sonyangwe followed by Prince Ncapai. However, because of the Mfecane wars, Sonyangwe the crown prince was burnt to death at night in his hut by traitors from the Memela who were vassals of the AmaBhele of uMdingi who were subjects of King Madzikane while he still reigned. Prince Sonyangwe died at Rode before he could become King of amaBhaca.

Therefore, on the death of King Madzikane, Prince Ncaphayi was crowned King of all amaBhaca but because his elder brother Sonyangwe had left behind two sons in Natal, (i.e. Princes Mdutyane and Thiba), King Ncaphayi was obliged to share the throne with Sonyangwes' heir. When Prince Mdutyane was only twenty-one, King Ncaphayi died in a war against the AmaMpondo King Faku. Crown Prince Mdutyane was crowned King of all the amaBhaca tribes and hence became the supreme ruler of the whole amaBhaca nation consisting of more than forty-four different tribes scattered all over southern Natal. King Ncapayi had many wives. Indlu Enkulu birth to Diko and Sogoni, from his second wife, Indlu Ykaula,. His third wife Iqadi Lendlu Enkulu bore Dabula. King Madzikane's kingdom is currently being revived by the Reat House of Ncapayi, Inkosi Madzikane II Thandisizwe Diko, the home of the Bhacas and the Kingdom is in Mount Frere, KwaBhaca in the Eastern Cape.

According to Reverend Soga, during the same year in which Ncapayi’s father Madzikane was killed, Ncaphayi entered Tembuland to avenge his father’s death, the Thembus under King Ngubengcuka made an ineffectual stand and the Bhacas swept away a large number of cattle.

Before King Madzikane died, and because of the relationship he had with King Faku, he advised his son to temporarily be a tributary king in Pondoland, he indeed did that and Faku at this time welcomed the Bhacas as this also coincided with the arrival of Nqetho, a chief of the Qwabes who had moved from Natal running away from King Tshaka’s army because he could not serve under King Dingane. When he entered Pondoland and tried to secure land by violence, Faku was anxious to get rid of him and therefore secured assistance from Ncaphayi to eject Nqetho. amaBhaca drove them back into Natal and Dingane issued instructions to kill Nqetho.

Soon after Sonyangwe's death King Madzikane died, but before he died he split the Kingdom of the Bhacas between his deceased crown prince and his son Prince Ncaphayi.

The Thembus defeat by the Bhacas, also led to Faku making an arrangement with Ncapayi when Pondos wanted to attack the Thembus, they entered Thembuland on three successive occasions and each time their raid was a success.

Soga asserts that cupidity is said to have been the force that brought Faku and Ncapayi to work together, it is also cupidity that is said to have destroyed their good working relationship. Because they were both strong, it became difficult to know which one was more powerful than the other. Ncapayi attacked Nyanda, the right hand section of the Phondos under Ndamase, the son of Faku, he raided Nyanda successfully. Meanwhile, the alarm had been raised with Faku and he Faku assembled a powerful army and this came up with the Bhacas and attacked them on all sides. Faku drove the Bhacas before him onto the kuNowalala Ridge. Ncaphayi was wounded and forced over the edge, falling onto a ledge some distance from the bottom, he was in helpless condition with both arms broken, besides a severe assegai (spear) wound. He lay there for days, persuading those who came to look at him to put an end to his misery and kill him. No one could do this until Faku gave orders that he must be killed. Madzikane’s son, King Ncapayi died in 1845.

                 Bhaca history

KWABHACA GREAT KINGDOM:
https://int.search.tb.ask.com/search/GGmain.jhtml?searchfor=bhaca+peple+picture&enableSearch=true&rdrct=no&st=sb&tpr=omni&p2=%5EBZC%5Exdm164%5ETTAB02%5Eza&ptb=73C0387A-26E4-4F68-A00A-2968083FBAA6&n=78490870&si=

Historically, around 1720's, the Bhaca people lived in the Northern part of the Pongola River near the Lebombo Hills, in a place that is today the boundary between Mpumalanga and Swaziland. As it is often stated that at about this period, the KwaZulu Natal was occupied by different tribes such as abaMbo and the aMalala, it is suspected that the amaBhaca came from one of these tribes. During this period amaBhaca were Zelemu.

The movement of amaBhaca is estimated to have been visible between 1734 and 1820's. Between 1734 and 1800's the amaZelemu left the land below the Drakensberg Mountains towards the east at times would hide in the forests like Nkandla forest so that they would not be seen. It is suspected that when the amaZelemu fled, they were accompanied by the amaWushe. Some chief that lived along amaBhaca include Chief Nondzaba, Dlepu, Mnginambi and Macingwane.

These tribes lived together without clash amongst each other. The clash started (BIG-Clash) with the then Zulu King Shaka during the Mfecane wars. It was the day King Tshaka sent his troops to attack the amaZelemu tribe. It is believed that in 1820 Madzikane had an argument with Tshaka because the amaZelemu tribe was unified, strong and frightening and that Tshaka did not like this. He thought that this tribe was trying to imitate him. Tshaka, his councillors and his traditional healers therefore plotted to kill Madzikane.

When the battle broke out, tribes spread out and lost some of their members. Some members of amaWushe collected some of their members, however others joined under Madzikane, son of inkosi uKhalimeshe. Madzikane fled in an eastern direction, following the exact same route as the Amachunu tribe that had also moved because of this unrest. He crossed the UMkhomazi River. Other tribes, aMacingwane under chief Cekwane, amaVundla, amaNtunzela and amaWushe Nondzaba in 1821. It is believed that amaVundla and amaNtunzela tribes were attacked and forcefully removed and their livestock taken by amaWushe under inkosi Nondzaba.

most of the informaltion that I wrote about here was from a blog called BHACA which explains everything that one need to know about the history of bhaca people. people turn to confuse us with XHOSA or ZULU people, i hope this will help in clarifying everything about our culture.
#KNOW-YOUR-TOOTS
#BE-PROUD-OF YOUR-HISTORY